Breaking Chains
by araceliaragon
Summary: "You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to those you love?" He threatened, his snake eyes boring into mine. "So then you'll comply." I hung my head in defeat. "That's what I thought." Katniss is forced into a world of money, prostitution and a single threat. A threat where she has to keep her 'job' a secret from Gale in order to keep him alive.
1. Firsts

Wow. I haven't been very good about uploading lately haven't I? But I have a real excuse. My house burned down. Along with my laptop. So here I am, with a borrowed laptop and I just felt sort of inspired to take up one of my old stories. Seriously, I am such a bad writer... feel free to bash haha imma go.

~xoxo k

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><p><strong>Breaking Chains<strong>

I stared at the wall my jaw slack. President Snow was long gone from the office but I hadn't moved an inch. "You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to those you love?" he had threatened, his snake-like eyes boring into mine and his signature sinister smile grinning back at me.

"Of course not." I had hung my head in shame. And it was at that moment that I had succumbed to whatever torture Snow wanted to do to me. And there was nothing I could do about it.

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><p><strong>Chp.1 Firsts:<strong>

"I already have many lined up around the block for you, young victor… and because of your compliance," He had paused and considered the word on his tongue. "… I will give you a fair client."

My stomach clenched and I rushed to the bathroom ready to wretch. Emptying everything I had in me into my toilet, I sank back against the adjacent wall and cried. I never realized that I would be faced with the ultimatum of selling my body to anybody or letting Snow take my family away.

After all the hardship I had endured I still hadn't saved Prim from the horrors of the Capitol.

A small plea escaped my chapped lips and my eyes fluttered closed. Everything just seemed out of my power. None of the feelings that I had expected I would feel by being a Victor had shown through. I felt defeated. The Capitol took my independence, Peeta took my option of love, Cato took my Peeta, Cinna had taken my every memory etched into my skin away, and Snow had taken even my skin away from me. I didn't own my body. Any creep that would pay a fee could own me for hours. And I had to comply. I was a rag doll. A puppet. Or in other words…

A prostitute.

A muffled scream tore through me and I couldn't control the cries and sobs ripping through my very soul. I was embarrassed for how I would be perceived. Any person who had some sort of respect for me would disappear and any integrity I had would dissipate. I wasn't allowed to be Katniss anymore. I wasn't Katniss anymore. I was a pawn. And I would have to be one for as long as Snow wanted to keep Prim and Gale alive.

I stood up on wobbly legs and crawled over to the vanity, I brought my gaze up to my reflection in the mirror. My face was red and splotchy, eyes burning with tears and sticky trails of grief down my cheeks. I let out a whimper.

The mighty Girl on Fire had been extinguished.

"Miss Everdeen?" A voice called out from my bedroom. I jumped up in surprise and in doing so I crashed into the towel rack, knocking over a soap bar and set of brushes. I yelped in pain as I landed hard on my butt. "Miss Everdeen?" It called again, more alarmed this time.

"I'm fine." I croaked. Whoever was in my room didn't heed my advice and entered the bathroom, only to find me distraught and sprawled out on the floor. "I said I was fine." I told the man who looked down in pity. I looked at the tiles and ordered the man to go away. "Leave."

But it came out in a blubbering mess, sounding like a plea for help. He sighed and hoisted me up into his arms. I fought weak-willed, trying to get out of his hold, naming out other compromises.

"Please don't bring me back in here. I beg you. Please." My voice cracked. He sat me down on my bed. I frantically clambered backwards till I hit the baseboard. "No, No! Don't touch me; I'm not ready for this. Anything but this." I sobbed, a new round of tears falling from my eyes. The man continued to look at me, puzzled.

"I'm not here to hurt you Miss Everdeen." He told me softly. I shook my head, closing my eyes not able to process what was about to happen. He was my first client. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"But you are." I whined. "You are going to hurt me." Didn't he realize that any sort of sexual touch inflicted on me was going to leave a searing mark on me? I let out a small sound of protest when he sat on the bed, moving closer to me.

"Katniss Everdeen." He reached his hand out turning my chin so that I had to face him. "Look at me." Reluctantly I looked into his eyes. "I'm here to teach you a few things." He let that sink in for a moment, and in my state of shock I didn't feel the bed shift as he came to sit in front of me. I let my eyes shut. I imagined the pain I would feel as he penetrated me, the shattering of my heart as the only thing that I had left that was mine, that I was in charge of, was taken away from me. "Open your eyes." His voice deepened.

"I'm scared." I whispered, my face turning into his palm. "I,"

"Shh." He took my shoulder in his other hand and brought us closer together. "You can trust me Miss Everdeen. I'm here for you to learn, so you don't get hurt." _I'm already hurt._ "Just trust me."

I looked up at him, his earnest eyes and a somber smile. I needed someone to trust so bad. I didn't have Peeta anymore, and Haymitch wasn't an option. Gale was in District Twelve and wouldn't have any power to protect me, since I was doing this to protect him. "I don't know if I have it in me." I accidentally slipped. "I don't know if I can trust you."

His chest vibrated with quiet laughter. "I'm sure you do. Now relax." He laid me down on my back and hovered over me. As nervous as I felt, was how he looked. "I might call you a few names other than your own Miss Everdeen." He told me timidly.

I blinked in confusion.

"You'll see." And then he proceeded to unbutton my jeans.

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><p>I've never thought about living in a world without Katniss, but today is the day when it actually might happen to me.<p>

I'm stoic and silent as I watch Katniss, Peeta and Thresh come to a stalemate. Katniss is poised with an arrow nocked and Peeta is slowly dripping out, a knife hanging in his hand, though I doubt he'll be able to use it anyhow. Thresh is breathing heavy. Cato's dead body next to him is enough proof that Thresh could very easily kill either one of District Twelve's tributes in seconds.

Who would've thought that this would be the finale?

"Thresh." Katniss croaks, slowly backing towards the Cornucopia, her gaze never faltering.

"Twelve." He spits, over the edge of sanity. "I spared you once, we're even." She nods her head. She understands. _Oh god Katniss, please don't do anything stupid_. "So I'm sorry."

"Me too." She whispers.

Peeta falls off balance, landing in between Katniss and Thresh and he lunges forward, his huge blade swinging back. Katniss screams and releases the arrow. It burrows into his neck poking out the back, and Thresh instantly drops dead, his warm blood covering Peeta's face.

Katniss runs to Peeta, to pull him away from Thresh but Peeta groans as she moves him. Katniss gasps and the camera zooms away from her face to show us Thresh's sword lodged in Peeta's chest.

Two canons boom.

District Twelve's first victor in twenty five years.


	2. Details

Look: Another chapter! Whoa! lmoa, I'm literally the worst about updating... but I figure if I really get into the groove of this story, then the chapters will end up longer, right? Lemme know if you like the change in tense between Gale and Katniss, otherwise just enjoy.

~xoxo k

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><p><strong>Chp.2 Details: <strong>

He was shrugging into his trousers as I lay shaking on the bed. Though I was frightened, I was also grateful for this man who had gently showed me the ways of a popular victor. He had been patient and as slow as he could be. But even with all those thoughts assuring me there was something that plagued me. "What's your name?" I asked as he pulled on his shirt.

He looked up at me and smiled. "Oh my, I guess in my haste to take you I forgot to introduce myself." He shook his head in disbelief and then held out a hand. Shyly I rose from my position, wincing as pain hit me in the pit of my stomach. I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut. Once I was comfortably sitting I pulled the blanket up to keep my modesty. I extended my hand to his and he clasped it in his own. "Dex." He said. "I'm Dex."

"Katniss." I whispered back. "It's nice to meet you." Under all odds, I was being pleasantly friendly. Who would have thought?

There was something about him that was comforting, and it was on the tip of my tongue. Maybe it was the way his words flowed through my ears so musically, or maybe the way his hair reminded me of Gale's: golden brown and long enough to pull at but short in a way that made him seem manlier than he was. Maybe he was so comforting because throughout my return to the Capitol only he had seen me break down.

I didn't want Dex to leave after this.

No one had ever seen me cry. Not even Gale. Okay that's a lie, everybody in Panem had seen me cry. For Rue, for water, for Peeta… but that's against the point. Dex had seen what Snow was doing to me… Sort of. He felt bad. He could understand.

And he also took away my purity.

I feel like it would be too painful to watch him—even though I've just met him—walk away because after being with him, I've put some sort responsibility on him. I don't want to be alone. And thinking about this pulls at my heart.

Though there was bearable pain when he broke through me, I'm positive the real pain will start when Dex leaves.

"It's nice to meet you too, Katniss." He paused at my name, purring as he said it. "And I apologize for all the nicknames I gave you earlier." He said, pulling back and reaching for his belt.

"What did you mean by all of them anyways?" I asked him, pushing my hair back. Dex looked over at me and gave me a small smirk.

"I've always had an obsession for Greek and Roman mythology, and I can't help myself when a temptress like you comes into view." I blushed at his words.

"So what does Alecto mean?" I tilted my head. Dex walked over to me and hooked his fingers under my chin.

"Alecto is a Fury who never releases her anger… and beautiful Alecto," He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine quickly. And then he muttered against my breath: "I don't want you to feel trapped in a world of ire."

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><p>Caesar Flickerman laughs away on my screen and I'm repulsed. He jokes about how surprising the final tributes were and warms the audience up with a bunch of gory puns. It makes me sick. "And now, the lady of the hour: Victor Katniss Everdeen! District Twelve!"<p>

The applause is enormous. Posy covers her ears beside me and I see Prim do that same up by her spot in the Town Square.

"Hi Caesar." Katniss greets, embracing Caesar… albeit looking a little forced. I take my time to soak in her features. I need to drink in every detail of her polished frame. And though I have some sort of idea that she might be altered by the Capitol I can't help but marvel at how beautiful my Katniss is.

"Tell me dear, how do you feel being back in the Capitol?" Caesar asks her, taking her over to the chairs.

Katniss coughs and raises her eyebrows. "Other than being alive and never having to go into the arena again?" There's appropriate laughter resonating throughout the speakers. "I'm okay." Caesar chortles loudly and points out how her sense of humor hasn't changed. _Can't you see she hates you?_ I think bitterly. All I want is for her to be here, preferably in my arms, but home nonetheless.

"Before the Recap how about a few more questions." Caesar suggests and with the audiences approval he continues. "I heard a little rumor that you've already decided on your new hobby…" Every victor gets to choose a certain activity that they can learn about during their days back in their district. Either you can do some sort of craft, or sport or learn about some other thing. My interest is piqued.

"Greek and Roman Mythology." She says with a small smile, and then she looks down at her dress and her cheeks turn red. _Why would that be embarrassing?_ I stop and ponder.

"What an interesting choice. How'd you come up with that?" Caesar's gummy grin is starting to bother me.

"Well…" Katniss trails off. She lifts her gaze and seemingly into the crowd. _Is she staring at Cinna? Haymitch?_ "Somebody suggested it to me, and was willing to teach me more about it." She giggles.

Giggled?

Katniss Everdeen _giggled?_ What has the world come to?!

"Ahh." Caesar nods, understandingly. But what type of underlying message is Katniss getting at? All these questions begin to build up and I'm almost bouncing in my seat ready to see her in person again. I want to be able to understand what she went through in the arena. I want to be able to help her get through any other horrors she might face.

I want to figure out why she blushed the way she did.


End file.
